Flash-machine.



J. L. GOURSON. FLASH MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1913.

1,080,750. Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR,

JamesL [0251150 ATTORNEYS J. L. cormsou.

FLASH MACHINE.

APPLICATION rILnn (M11124, 1913.

1,080,750. Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

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V WITNESSES fmmvroR, Jz'zmesbl' 0 arson ATTORNEYS JAMES L. COUBSON, OFBABBERTON, OHIO.

FLASH-MACHINE.

Specification of Ilietters Patent.

. PatentedDec'.9,1913.

Application filed January 24, 1913 Serial No. 743,922.

Improved Flash-Machine, of which the fol-' lowing is a full, clear, andexact description.

M inventionrelates to an improvement in flash machines, preferably forphotographic'uses, and the object thereof is to provide a constructionwhich includes a number of receptacles receiving the materials forproducing the flash,- together with suitable mechanism for causing thema-v terials in each receptacle to be ignited in turn in a positive andcertain manner when the camera shutter is thrown open to make theexposure for the picture that is to be taken.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which the same characters of reference indicatethe same parts in all the views.

Fi re 1 is a top plan of my invention showmg-the circuit connections;Fig. 2 is a sectional view substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig.3 is a vertical longitudinal section; and Fig. 4 is a similar sectionalview of a detail.

M invention comprises a rotating plate or isk 1 which carries mountedaround the periphery thereof a number of vessels 2 into each of whichprojects an igniting electrode 3. These electrodes 3 are mounted bymeans of insulating bushings in the plate 4 passingthr'ough the same atone end and through the vessels 3 at the other, the ends thereof insideof the vessels being bent down into sparking relation with respect to anelectrode 5 which is in the form of abolt or nut holding The electrode 3by passing into the cup or vessel 2 from the rear or at a point removedfrom the bolt 5 prevents the vessel from turning on the bolt as an axis,and consequently a single bolt may be employed to secure each vessel tothe support 1. This the vessels 2 to the plate 1- and in electricalcontact with this plate.

circuit-closing mechanism com rises a bracket 7 mounted upon the si e ofthe casing 6 and supporting a brush 8 made of some conductive materialcarried upon a binding post 9 supported by the bracket 7, but insulatedtherefrom and connected by means of a conductor 10 to a'spark coil 11.This spark coil 11 is furnished with current from a battery 12, and thecircuit is controlled by means of a switch 13. Obviously, as the d1sk lrotates, each of the electrodes 3 will come into contact at its lowerend with the brush 8 by turns, andif the circuit of the battery 12 isclosed at this time the coil 11' will generate high tension current atwill, causing a spark to jump between the upper end of the electrode 3and the bolt 5, and ignite the flash materials in the cups 2.

The plate 1 carrying the vessels 2 is mounted upon a sleeve 14, beingsecured centrally to this sleeve at its upper end by means of a washer16 and a screw 15 which asses into the sleeve 14 and clamps the p ate 1against a flange at the upper end of the sleeve. This sleeve is hollowand it terminates at its lower end in a flange 17 inside of the case 6.This flange bears the weight of the sleeve, the disk and the vessels 2and rests upon a part of the driving mechanism, which will now bedescribed. A spindle 18 passes inside of the casing 6 through the\bottom thereof and is provided with collars 19, one of which engagesthe bottom of the casing and the other of which is located near thelower end 20, which is polygonal in cross-section to enable it to beengaged by a crank or key in turn. This shaft is connected to a coiledspring 21 secured'to the shaft 18 at one end and secured at its otherend to a cover 22 made fast to the bottom of the casing 6. The lowerflange or collar 19 engages the bottom of the cover and the shaft 18 isthus held against longitudinal movement. o

Inside the casing 6 the shaft 18 carries a gear wheel 23 which has a hubto rest upon the bottom of the casing6, and on this gear wheel theflange 17 rests. The wheel 23 meshes with a pinion 24: on a shaft 25,and this shaft also carries a gear 26 meshing with a pinion 27 on thesleeve 14 to turn the same. It also meshes with a pinion 28 onanothershaft 29 which carries a wheel 30 acting as a sort of balancewheel or flywheel and terminating outside the casing 6 in a sectioncarrying vanes 31 which act as speed regulators when the mechanism is inoperation.

Rigidly mounted on the sleeve 14 above the gear 27 is a ratchet disk 32carrying stops 33, and this ratchet is engaged by coil, such as iscommonly used for ignition,

purposes, especially on gas engines. One terminal of the secondarywinding will be connected to the conductor 10 and the other one groundedin any convenient fashion on the framework of the mechanism. The switch13 will be connected to the bulb which controls the camera shutter, andwhen the switch 13 is closed the shutter will be thrown open to take thepicture. This will energize the coil 11 at the time when the shutter isopen and cause a spark to pass from the electrode 3 which is in circuitwith the brush 8, into the cup associated therewith and produce a flash.At the same time, the magnet 37 attracts the member 36, drawing the pawlout of engagement with the ratchet and allowing the spring 21 to rotatethe gear train to turn the sleeve 14. This moves the disk 1 to bring thenext vessel 2 into such relation that its electrode 3 will contact withthe brush 8, so that when the next exposure is to be taken a flash canbe produced the same as in the first instance. Of course the switch 13will be opened and closed instantaneously, and when the next vessel 3 isbrought into operative posit-ion the circuit of the high tension windingof the coil 11 will be open. Furthermore, it will be observed from aninspection of Fig. 2 that when the member 36 is attracted the oppositeend of the ward the center oft e ratchet 32. In this position, after theratchet has moved a distance equal to the space between any two adjacentprojections 33, this end of the pawl will be struck by one of theseprojections and moved in such a way as to bring the end carrying themember 36 back into position to enga eons of the ratchet teeth and holdthe rate et against further movement. This prevents the disk 1 from beinshifted more than the required distance to rin the next vessel intooperative position. T e spring 21 and the gear train actuatin the sleeve14 maybe an ordinary clock mec anism, and the spring can be wound up byany convenawl 34: will be in toient means engaging the polygonal lowerend of the shaft 18.

- From the above description it will be seen that I have produced apositive and certain mechanism for producing as many flashes as thereare vessels containing the flash materials on the plate or platform 1.The flash takes place in each instance in synchronism with the openingof the camera shutter, and

the same movement of the parts which 'produces the flash shifts the nextvessel into operative position, so that another flash can be producedwhen the primary circuit of the coil.11 is again closed.

I wish to have it understood that the above description is illustrativeonly, and that I do not care to be limited to the exact arrangement ofparts shown and described,

but reserve to myself the right to make such extending into one of saidvessels, a corresponding electrode in each of said plates grounded uponsaid plate, a brush mounted below said revolving plate, a source of hightension current connected to said brush, and means for revolving saidplate to bring each electrode into contact with said brush by turns to i'te the materials in the vessel associated t erewith.

2. The combination of a plurality of ves sels for receiving flashmaterials, means for igniting said flash materials, and means forenergizin said ignitin means and simultaneously s ifting the re ativeposition of the vessels, whereby each of said vesels will be brought byturns into operative plosition.

3. The combination 0 a plura 'ty of ves-. sels 'for receiving flashmaterials, a movable support for said vessels, a ratchet for controllingthe movements of said support, a pawl to engage said ratchet at one endto prevent the movement thereof, means for moving said end out ofengaging relation, the pawl having its opposite end extending intoproximity to 'said ratchet, and means carried by the ratchet to engagethe opposite end of the pawl to move the first-named endback intoengaging'relation and prevent further movement of said ratchet.

4. The combination of a plate, a plurality of vessels mounted upon saidplate to receive flash materials, means for igniting the materials ineach of said vessels, means for connecting said igniting means in turnto a source of energy, a ratchet for moving said plate to bring each ofsaid igniting means by turns in connecting relation with said source, apawl having one end to engage the ratchet and having its other endextending into proximity thereto means carried by the ratchet forengaging the'opposite end of the pawl, whereby when the first-named endis moved out of engaging relation the ratchet will be turned a certaindistance and will engage the opposite end of the pawl so as to bring thefirst-named end back into engagement with the ratchet, and means incircuit with said source for moving the first-named end of the pawl.

5. In a flash machine, the combination of a rotating plate, a pluralityof vessels arranged around the periphery of said plate, a plurality ofelectrodes extending through said plate, each of said electrodesextending into one of said vessels, a corresponding electrode extendinginto each of said vessels and grounded upon said plate, means forrotating said plate, a ratchet disk for controlling the movements ofsaid plate, a pawl mounted adjacent said ratchet to engage the same atone end, a magnet to attract the pawl, means carried by the ratchet toengage the opposite end of the pawi, a brush mounted below said plate inposition to contact with the electrodes by turns, a source of hightension current connected to said brush, and means for energizing saidmagnet and said source, whereby when the energizing means is inactionthe electrode in circuit nited,

with the brush will spark and the magnet will move the pawl out ofengagement with the ratchet to permit the plate to turn, the means onthe ratchet then engaging the op posite end of the pawl after the platehas turned a certain distance to move the firstnamed end of the pawlback into engagement with the ratchet and prevent the further movementthereof until the next flash is to be produced.

6. A fiash machine, comprising a support, a vessel for holding materialto be ignited, and a jump spark igniter consisting of a single fastenersecuring the vessel and support together, and serving as an electrode,and another electrode disposed in cooperative relation with the firstand engaging the ves-:

sel to prevent the same from turmng on the said fastener as an axis.

7. A flash machine, comprising a support, a vessel for holdingthematerial to be ig a fastener for securing the vessel to the support andforming an electrode in the vessel, and a second electrode fixed withrespect'to the support'and extending into the vessel through the Wallthereof and serving to hold the vessel against movement around the saidfastener as an axis.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES L. GOURSON.

Witnesses:

EDWARD SIGLER, LEE H. LY'I'LE.

